Carbohydrates are the bane of our dieting existence. Everyone loves to blame carbohydrates when it comes to their weight gain and it seems that carbohydrates have turned out to be everyone’s scape goat, hence the low-carb diet fad.
When you eat carbohydrates your body breaks them down into sugars which are either quickly used up as energy or stored in the liver and muscles to be used later. They are your body’s number one fuel source and without them we can't function properly.
There are two types of carbohydrates simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are broken down quickly and give your body a hit of energy. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are broken down slowly, giving your body a sustained energy release which affects our feelings of satisfaction. Complex carbohydrates will help you feel fuller for longer and don't make your blood sugar levels sky rocket and then plummet. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, vegetables, brown rices and legumes.
Carbohydrates alone DO NOT cause weight gain! Consuming too many kilojoules and not exercising enough will be making you pack on the pounds. A low-carb diet might provide you with short term results but losing too much weight fast is unsustainable and you'll only end up putting the weight you've lost plus more back on. You will be deriving your body of essential nutrients and vitamins and I can guarantee a low-carb diet will leave you feeling weak, fatigued and not being able to focus properly.
So what carbohydrates should you eat?
With carbohydrates it's complex not simple.
EAT COMPLEX CARBS LIKE: Vegetables, brown seeded breads, brown rice and brown pasta.
EAT THESE SIMPLE CARBS IN MODERATION: Fruit, yoghurt and low-fat milk.
AVOID THESE CARBS: White breads, white pasta and white rice, cakes, lollies, chocolate and ice-cream.
Carbohydrates alone do not cause weight gain. They also don't cause weight loss on their own. The key to weight loss is a diet high in vegetables, fruit, complex carbohydrates, lean meats, low fat dairy and healthy fats. Don't forget to treat yourself and do at the very least 30 minutes exercise every day. This lifestyle will help you shed the kilos and keep them off.
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